


More Than Meets The Eye

by whiffingbooks



Series: These prompts keep pulling me in [12]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 31 Days Writing Challenge, Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, F/M, Prompt Fic, They Are Descendants, WritersMonth2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26156488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiffingbooks/pseuds/whiffingbooks
Summary: Prompt: MythsHarry lost the canoe race, but he didn't mind much. After all, it was Ginny Weasley.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Series: These prompts keep pulling me in [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859185
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	More Than Meets The Eye

**Author's Note:**

> Last update of this month. I really tried, but turns out I burn out very fast. I might continue with the prompts. For now, this is it. Peace.

"Bloody hell!" Ron spluttered as Draco Malfoy crashed his canoe with theirs. Harry grasped the sides of their canoe as they jostled in the water.

"Thanks for the win, Potter, Weasley!" Malfoy smirked. He waved his oar mockingly before paddling away from them.

"That fucker! It's cheating!" Ron stood up, his hands balled up in fists. He took up the discarded oar and groaned. "This is broken. We need to forfeit."

"No, wait. Give it to me."

Harry took the oar. Closing his eyes, he focused on the oar he had been given for the race: slightly chipped at the edges, but unbroken. He opened his eyes.

The exact replica of the previous one lay on his lap.

"I still have no idea how you do this. It's creepy," Ron looked impressed despite his words. Harry smacked him with the oar.

"Wanker. Let's paddle. We won't win the race, but we can at least finish."

Ron adjusted the oar back to its place.

"I'll pummel that ferret when we see him the next time," he grumbled as they started to paddle.

"We will. I'll hold back his arms. You can punch his stupid face," Harry promised, making Ron laugh.

By the end, they didn't have to smack Malfoy or bear his gloating. When they reached the finish line, they saw Ms McGonagall chewing him out. He was drenched from head to toe as if someone had succeeded in pushing him off of his canoe.

"But..." McGonagall cut him off with a venomous glare.

"I won't hear anything, Mr Malfoy. You have behaved most shamefully..."

"Hey!" Hermione ran up to them, her cheeks red with exertion from running. "I was waiting for you."

Ron's ears turned red. Harry fought hard to stifle his chuckle. Those two had been skirting around each other since last year. He had half a mind to lock them together in the wardrobe at Hogwarts Community Centre. But he was too disgusted at the prospect of finding them snogging to actually go through with it.

"How in the blazes did the wanker end up getting drenched?" Ron marvelled at how Ms McGonagall seemed to become taller as Malfoy shrunk more and more in size to not meet anyone's eyes.

"Word is that someone sabotaged his canoe and showed a recording of Malfoy cheating to Ms Mcgonagall." Hermione clapped her hands, her hair bouncing in enthusiasm.

"Blimey! I am ready to burn an offering to their god. Who was that?" Harry looked around for someone wearing a medal and gloating.

"That will be us." A voice spoke up from behind him.

Harry turned around. Immediately, his heart stopped.

"Ginny..." he breathed out.

Harry prided himself of being a reasonably well-behaved seventeen years old. From a young age, he was taught to show respect to people who never deserved it. His godfather had been both furious and amused when he got wind of the various atrocities Harry had suffered since his arrival at the Dursley's.

"So, they blamed you for the hellhound attack?" Sirius had asked while pouring a generous amount of beer into Harry's goblet.

"Erm, yeah. They blame me for almost everything. Should, uh, you be encouraging me to drink?" Harry concentrated on the bottle. A moment later, water started pouring out. Sirius dropped the bottle in surprise. Both of them watched the rivulet of water turn back into the beer.

Sirius had stared at him for a while before laughing heartedly.

"Oh! Shite, Harry! Reminded me of your dad, you did. Your dad used to do that every single time! The tosser wasn't as funny as he used to think he was," he chuckled, his shoulders shaking.

"You're..." Harry paused. "You're not mad?"

Sirius seemed surprised. "Mad because you didn't want a drink? I think you're barking mad to refuse one. Thirteen is the new sixteen. You're far too well-behaved."

As he grew older, he learned that as much as Sirius tried to portray himself as a Lothario, he was strict about one thing: etiquette. Harry was given an exclusive lesson on how to treat women. And one of the first things was not staring at them as if they're pieces of meat.

Harry was sure that he disappointed Sirius with his 'women' skills when he laid his eyes on the youngest Weasley that summer. On his defence, he didn't expect to fancy her to the point he stopped breathing. Also, it wasn't his fault that Ginny Weasley was probably the most gorgeous person he had ever had the fortune to meet.

"Yes. We won. Saw him fuck up your canoe or oar or whatever." She gestured to Neville, her hair swaying behind her. "Good thing, Neville has an unhealthy attachment to the video camera that surprisingly didn't get wet during the race." She squinted her eyes, her brown orbs shining with mischief. "Did you cheat too?"

"Of course not!" Neville squeaked. Harry knew the source of Neville's affront - descended from the god of thieves, he had been accused of cheating far too many times. Neville, thankfully, did not inherit the penchant of any illegal activity. Uh, almost.

None of them was innocent. Hogwarts might have been a cover to get the descendants of the gods together, but it did function quite well as a community centre. Harry hated the bonding sessions wholeheartedly.

"Anyway, we got it on film. After a Herculean effort," the sky rumbled. Ginny rolled her eyes. "Those immortal arses are still so touchy about having their names used." Ignoring Ron's scandalized gasp, she added, "So, we rowed quickly and I accidentally pushed Malfoy underwater along with Pansy."

"Accidentally?" Hermione frowned.

"Mistakes happen. Bottom line is that Malfoy will get a couple of more hours on meal planning." She punched the air, mesmerizing Harry by her giddiness.

He needed to stop it. He still remembered when Ginny used to follow him around with a blush adorning her cheeks, throwing him coy looks when he wasn't looking.

Karma was really an arsehole.

"I'm hungry!" Ron announced. "As much as I'd love to see Malfoy get bashed, I need to fill up my stomach. Especially if we are to meet with the Magicians later." He and Ginny made faces as everyone snickered.

"You wouldn't be laughing too much if you had to dine with them," Ginny muttered darkly.

"It isn't that bad, is it? They're interesting folks. I'm sure of it," Neville interjected. Ron gave him a baffled look.

"Fleur isn't bad -" he started.

"Please, spare me," Ginny interrupted, ignoring her brother's irritated glance.

"Fleur isn't bad," he said pointedly, "but having dinner with that lot is awful. Most of them are snobby. I'm sure I once heard one of her friends call us 'barn animals'."

"That's insulting!" Hermione said in an indignant tone. She pursed her lips and tilted her head. "I'm up for snacks. Why don't you tell me more about them?"

"Because they're gits!"

"I'm not hungry. I'll go to the arena now. I want to get in a few hours of practice," Harry nodded at them.

"I'll go with you!" Ginny piped in, making his heart stutter.

"You don't have to!"

Her eyes dimmed a bit at his hesitation. She looked unsure.

"Um, fine if it bothers you..."

"No. I mean, you don't have to accompany me because I look like a sad sack." He wanted to kick himself.

Could he be any more awkward?

Ginny laughed. Shaking her head, she faced Ron.

"I'll see you later. Don't empty the kitchen once you find out Dobby made Marmite Sandwiches."

Ron immediately pulled Hermione's hand and started heading towards the kitchen.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped.

"We can't miss the sandwiches, 'Mione. I'll leave you behind if you don't walk fast."

Neville chuckled. "I wonder whether a day would come when Ron starts hating them."

"No," Harry and Ginny said, smiling at each other. Harry tried to ignore the swooping feeling in his stomach.

"Well, I should head back. See if Luna needs help. Bye," Neville slinked away, leaving Harry alone with Ginny. A living, breathing, jaw-dropping Ginny. He didn't have much grounds to complain.

"Um, this way." He gestured vaguely, suddenly aware of his lanky arms. Ginny shot him a smile before starting to walk. He jogged to catch up with her quick strides.

"I know which way it is, Harry." She punched his shoulder. He chuckled, gently rubbing the area, ignoring the stinging that had nothing to do with pain.

"How have you been?" The gate of the arena loomed before them. Harry felt a jolt of panic. He didn't want her to pull away and leave him to gut some dummies. He stopped. Ginny halted too. She glanced at him, her expression a bit relieved.

"Good. You?" She stepped closer to him. Harry was hyper-aware of people looking at them. Although when he looked around, no one seemed to have noticed him standing and stammering.

"Fine." Mentally, he berated himself for being so uncooperative. Was this really how he imagined asking Ginny out? If at all.

Ginny, however, remained undeterred.

"It seems like we haven't had a decent conversation in years." She gave him a knowing look. He wondered whether she had noticed him trying to avoid being caught gazing at her in his lovesick manner. He was never subtle. It was a miracle that Ron had not yet guessed Harry's fascination with his younger sister.

"Maybe a few days. We were in the same team at Capture the Flag." And she had seen him when he got splashed by some juicy abomination, leaving him semi-naked until the game ended. His face burned with the memory of the hoots and catcalls from the rest of the players.

"I barely remember anything except the moment your shirt came off. The best sight I've seen in ages."

Harry startled at her words. His reply caught in his throat as he caught on Ginny's intense stare. She didn't look to be joking at all.

Was Ginny Weasley...flirting?

With him?

"Very funny," he laughed nervously, trying to flatten his hair.

Ginny scoffed. "It's true! Are you planning on stripping naked for the training?" Harry wanted to ignore how she stepped closer to him, her face inches away from his chest. He wanted to step back, but his feet seemed to be stuck in their place. Feet - utterly useless things that never abide your wishes.

"Why? Thinking about joining me?" His palms felt clammy. He wondered whether you could have a stroke at a young age. If not, then why was his heart pounding so badly?

"I might." She tilted her head towards him.

"You won't." He had the wildest wish of kissing her. Right then. In the middle of the campgrounds, with no reservations.

She stepped back from him. His spirits plummeted as the distance between them increased. Ginny giggled, but her expression didn't change. She looked as if she was holding back from doing something rash.

"I might. I'm sweaty from all the hard work I did to defeat Malfoy. No one would bat an eye if I just rip off my shirt." His eyes widened as she thumbed her hem of the shirt.

"Ginny," his voice sounded strangled. She threw her head back, letting out a peal of laughter.

"How about a sparring match? I promise I won't use my powers if you don't use yours!" She winked at him. She wasn't making it easy for him.

"Since you're descended from the god of inventions, I think you'll find something." He had seen her make a weapon out of scrap metal left on the field within a few minutes. He knew not to underestimate her.

Plus, there was a chance that he might get distracted, giving her a clear shot of his head which she might end up whacking for his blatant staring.

"I promise to beat you fair and square."

"You think you can beat me?" He opened the gate and stepped aside for her to step in. The arena was occupied by a young boy who took one look at them and took off.

"Oh yes. Like it'll be hard? Pfft." She went and picked up a dummy lying on the ground.

"Bet's on."

"Great! It's a good deal. You profit from our match."

"How so?" He frowned. The only thing he might gain was a whack if he was lucky.

"Well, Potter. I don't usually take off my shirt for boys. Has to be a special one." Ginny winked. She walked towards the armoury.

"You won't be sparring with your shirt off." He chuckled, but Ginny didn't reply. He called out, "You won't, will you? Ginny. Ginny!"

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [whiffingbooks](https://whiffingbooks.tumblr.com/)


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